[X] My Assistant

[suoq]

it also doesn't make sense if they're very small—these are microscopic.

The really good RFID tags don't use wireless at all. They're enchanted foci and can be seen astrally. They may be microscopic, but they're brimming with power...

Wow. I love the device rating 3 RFID tags on page 328. Potential Response 5, Signal 5 RFID tags. A hacker using those as routers.... wow. Stuff that like could make a hacker network's reputation.

[suoq]

Example: Trying to track a Paracritter with a Security RFID tag implant.

Honestly, if I'm trying to track a security RFID tag, I'd be more tempted to go for the computer it reports to than for the tag.
1) I'm assuming you're going AGAINST the people that implanted the tag. If you were working with them, they'd just use the computer in the first place to tell them where it is.
2) I'm assuming you really don't want to attempt surgery on a live paracritter and either killing the critter, moving the critter, or deactivating the tag would pop up a red flag on the computer it reports to.
3) But if you own the computer it reports to, it can tell you where the critter is AND you can keep any flags from popping up. Heck, you can make it do whatever you want.

If you can't get that level of access, I'd be really tempted to try spoofing as the RFID tag. Make them think the RFID tag is broken, flaky, whatever. Send them out to fix the tag, follow them to the target, wait for them to leave and then do the job.

[Yerameyahu]

I'm not convinced you can upgrade a tag's Matrix stats at all, but it'd definitely be Peripheral. So you'd have to cluster them.

[suoq]

I'm not convinced you can upgrade a tag's Matrix stats at all, but it'd definitely be Peripheral.

By house rule or is there some RAW I'm missing. (I don't object to the house rule, but I sometimes like to know what the RAW is so I can ignore it.)

[Yerameyahu]

The upgradeable part, yes; AFAIK, there are no rules about that stuff besides 'literally everything is an electronic device'. For Peripheral, that's RAW. Tags are basically the definition of Peripheral nodes: something with Matrix connectivity, but no need to run programs/be a general purpose computer.

[Bushw4cker]

Honestly, if I'm trying to track a security RFID tag, I'd be more tempted to go for the computer it reports to than for the tag.
1) I'm assuming you're going AGAINST the people that implanted the tag. If you were working with them, they'd just use the computer in the first place to tell them where it is.
2) I'm assuming you really don't want to attempt surgery on a live paracritter and either killing the critter, moving the critter, or deactivating the tag would pop up a red flag on the computer it reports to.
3) But if you own the computer it reports to, it can tell you where the critter is AND you can keep any flags from popping up. Heck, you can make it do whatever you want.

If you can't get that level of access, I'd be really tempted to try spoofing as the RFID tag. Make them think the RFID tag is broken, flaky, whatever. Send them out to fix the tag, follow them to the target, wait for them to leave and then do the job.

What I meant was..Say a Johnson needs to track a Paracritter that escaped, and the critter is tagged with a security RFID tag. The runners know that the critter probably hasn't gotten out of the city, what would be the best way to track that RFID tag? sorry if I didn't explain example better.

[HunterHerne]

Still getting the computer it's linked to/ spoofing the ID code. It'll send a specific message at regular intervals to that commcode.

[Christian Lafay]

What I meant was..Say a Johnson needs to track a Paracritter that escaped, and the critter is tagged with a security RFID tag. The runners know that the critter probably hasn't gotten out of the city, what would be the best way to track that RFID tag? sorry if I didn't explain example better.

Shit, then you should have the hard part done. The Johnson should have been able to give you the specifics of the RFID. After that your Hacker needs to get really creative with looking for it. But before that I would suggest using some logic, lowercase "l". Depending on the creature see if it has been bagged and hit the market recently. Put a call out to your fixer(s) saying you are in the market for an exotic animal. Just got a big score and always wondered what BLAH tasted like, or some other lie. Then, again with logic, try to find out where in the city that type of critter would go to. Would people scream out loud if they saw it? Does it like dark damp places? That kinda of stuff. Will narrow the hunting grounds for your hacker. IMHO.

[Bushw4cker]

Shit, then you should have the hard part done. The Johnson should have been able to give you the specifics of the RFID. After that your Hacker needs to get really creative with looking for it. But before that I would suggest using some logic, lowercase "l". Depending on the creature see if it has been bagged and hit the market recently. Put a call out to your fixer(s) saying you are in the market for an exotic animal. Just got a big score and always wondered what BLAH tasted like, or some other lie. Then, again with logic, try to find out where in the city that type of critter would go to. Would people scream out loud if they saw it? Does it like dark damp places? That kinda of stuff. Will narrow the hunting grounds for your hacker. IMHO.

Lets say it's a Hell Hound, they are pretty sneaky (Infiltration 4) so if one wanted to evade detection it probably could. So whats the best strategy for a Hacker to find the Critter. I think trying to ask most contacts would be pretty useless. Maybe intercept Lone Star traffic to find out if anyone has spotted a Hell Hound? Trying to hack public/private nodes to see if RFID tag has been logged (Is that realistic, to think that RFID tag Traffic is logged in larger nodes? like Shopping Malls. Traffic Sensors.) Then using a Radio Signal Scanner to track the Critter once the general RFID tag location has been found. What would be best approach if all the above fail?

[Bushw4cker]

Couldn't a commlink duplicate a Radio Signal Scanner's functions?

[Christian Lafay]

Lets say it's a Hell Hound, they are pretty sneaky (Infiltration 4) so if one wanted to evade detection it probably could. So whats the best strategy for a Hacker to find the Critter. I think trying to ask most contacts would be pretty useless. Maybe intercept Lone Star traffic to find out if anyone has spotted a Hell Hound? Trying to hack public/private nodes to see if RFID tag has been logged (Is that realistic, to think that RFID tag Traffic is logged in larger nodes? like Shopping Malls. Traffic Sensors.) Then using a Radio Signal Scanner to track the Critter once the general RFID tag location has been found. What would be best approach if all the above fail?

Well with a security tag I doubt that it would register with just local nodes. Otherwise it would be easier for other companies to acquire new property. But your hacker could rig them to start looking and report back to him, focus on the areas that might be best. If the critter escaped recently start a spiral pattern out from the site, if you know it. Also the LS info is a pretty good idea. But it's always good to listen to their chatter anyway. To bad there is no fur or such for a magician to track down, though being dual natured might help track it down. Could attempt to summon a lot of weak spirits and send them out to search an area for a Hell Hound. Carpet bomb surveillance. But that is just a quick thought.

[HunterHerne]

Couldn't a commlink duplicate a Radio Signal Scanner's functions?

Yes. With the sniffer program. But, a radio signal scanner is 25 nuyen per rating, with maximum 6. A sniffer program, which is a hacking program, costs 500 nuyen per rating, up to 3, or 1000 nuyen per rating if you want higher. And is capped by your commlink's system/response.

[Bushw4cker]

Yes. With the sniffer program. But, a radio signal scanner is 25 nuyen per rating, with maximum 6. A sniffer program, which is a hacking program, costs 500 nuyen per rating, up to 3, or 1000 nuyen per rating if you want higher. And is capped by your commlink's system/response.

It seems Scan would make more sense then Sniffer for finding an RFID tag

[suoq]

What I meant was..Say a Johnson needs to track a Paracritter that escaped, and the critter is tagged with a security RFID tag. The runners know that the critter probably hasn't gotten out of the city, what would be the best way to track that RFID tag? sorry if I didn't explain example better.

It's a Security RFID tag (pg 329 SR4A). If it's in the city it should be within 400 meters of an access point since it's signal is as good as a standard commlink. Since it provides a mean of tracking the critter (SR4A 329), it's reporting back to home through the matrix (unless you can think of a better way to perform that function). If it's escaped, then no one should have disabled or removed the RFID tag. If, through some stretch of the imagination, the paracritter is not within range of a matrix access point, the computer it reports to should know when and where it was last time it reported in. Simply drive to that point and convert a commlink to an access point (there's got to be rules for that somewhere), map out nearby dead zones, and drive around until you can bridge the gap between the critter and an access point. If it got on a blimp or airplane, find out what might have left at that time and pray.

Note that if the tag is encrypted, unless your GM sells Radio Signal Scanners WITH decryption, running around with Radio Signal Scanners is not going to be fun since you'll have to physically verify all the encrypted tags. Personally, even if the tag wasn't encrypted, running around with scanners hoping to get lucky does not sound like fun.

Edit: Given that it's a paracritter, if you are going to drive around, get someone to astrally look for the darn thing. There's got to be less paracritters in the astral than there are RFID tags in the physical. I know that's not what you're asking, but I'm not good at staying on the rails or in the box.

[HunterHerne]

It seems Scan would make more sense then Sniffer for finding an RFID tag

You're right. Sorry, I just used Sniffer because that is what the RSS says to treat it as. Scan still costs 50 nuyen per rating, or 100 per rating if you want it above rating 3. Nothing back breaking, but still double or 4 times the cost for the program alone, and limited by your commlink's ratings.

[Yerameyahu]

Yeah, that's an error in the RSS rules.

[Christian Lafay]

Simply drive to that point and convert a commlink to an access point (there's got to be rules for that somewhere), map out nearby dead zones, and drive around until you can bridge the gap between the critter and an access point.

Satellite link.

[Sir_Psycho]

I'm not convinced you can upgrade a tag's Matrix stats at all, but it'd definitely be Peripheral. So you'd have to cluster them.

Let me show you my tiny bag of tricks.

[Chance359]

Based on what the OP has said so far, I'd suggest building (unwired p.88) or renting (Unwired p.93) a botnet with scan loaded.

[Bushw4cker]

When I think of Security RFID tags, I think about the movie Idiocracy. (I tried to find the clip...) Where Joe has a bar code tattoo, and he goes past the scanner that alerts the police to his location.